Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-05-25
GARLAND WON'T ACCEPT
The Vacancy ON the Supreme Bench---Hl,
Bad Health the Cause.

The Vacancy on the Supreme Bench His
Bad Health the Cause.
WASHINGTON, d. c., May 24.-Attor-
ney General Garland to-day talked freely
to n representative of the Associated Press
concering his supposed candidacy for the
vacant position on the Supreme Bench.
After saying, II do not want the place,
and would not take it if offered me-" Mr..
Garland set forth his reasons as follows: 81
do not" he said, "underyalue the place.
1t has work and responsibility enough for
the energy and ability of any
one, and honor sufficient for the most
amb .tious. When the last two appoint
ments for the Supreme Court were:. made,
my name was conspicuously mentioned by
persons of both parties. At the time l
would readily have accepted such a posi-
ton and did not hesitate to say so, but /
was younger by several years and my
health much better than now. My cOnSti-
tuition is worse, enteebled by severe
attacks since that came upon me in
March 1885. Duties of the
Office of Justice of the United States Su-
preme Court are so important and 80 ex-
acting that feel it due TO the public ser
vice that rs general rule, and other
things being equal, one who enters upon
the performance should have fair rea-
Sonable prospect of twenty years of active
and unbroken labor before reaching the
are named by law Tor retiring. For work
done by that Court lasts for all years to
come, and goes far to mould the fashion OF
our institutions. | could not even INDUCE
the hope of having a period Of fifteen
years allowed me for the continuance
of hard work, and | would be untrue TO
duty to accept such trust with the fact
staring me i'll the face. Besides some months
after the two appointments referred to were
made / was elected by the Legislature
of Arkansas to the L. :. Senate for the
second time. and then formed n resolution
to retire from public life and public place
at the end of that term, which will expire
with the closing of this administration,
and have shaped my affairs 80 as to carry
out this resolution. | will say that the
entire Arkansas representation knows for
nearly or quite two years past this deter
minatiOn on my part, as well ts some few
other particular personal friends OF mine. y
May ask you then, if the President
knows of this"
YES, generally and particularly. Gen
orally, for he has heard me say tlatly more
than a year since, that wanted and would
have no other public place after this, and
on the sd of February Last he asked me tn
take place on the Interstate COmmis-
sion, which declined, repeating positive
" this determination on my part, that |
wanted and would have no pub
lie Office after this, and particularly
and as | could decently do so (the day
after Justice Woods was buried | told him
my name was being used in this cOnneC-
tiOn, and ! wanted 1T once to say that /
did not wish the place and would not have
il, and repeated again my resolutions rs to
public office, and wished him to proceed
to the consideration OF the question as If he
never had heard OF me. ~
"Theu, rs you are out of the matter,
who, if may inquire, will get it?'
~ have not the remUtest idea.
"Do you know when the appointment
will he made?'
81 do not, rs | have had no talk with
the President about it beyond making
to him the statement as to myself already
referred to-